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Wednesday, 3 August 2011

Summer Reading.

On Monday Pat, alias The Weaver of Grass, suggested that we post our current or most recent reading matter, listing 2 fiction and 2 non-fiction titles and the two books we might re-read.For my first fiction title, I recently read Ken Follett's 'The Pillars of the Earth'. Set in twelfth century England amid all the political and religious strife, it tells the story of the building of a great cathedral.The second fiction title was 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' by John Boyne. The story is written as if by a nine year old boy who is the main character, and describes his life growing up in wartime Germany. The ending is quite a shock but the book is not gloomy or harrowing.My two non-fiction titles are by the same author and I have just finished them. 'Wildwood' and 'Tales from Walnut Tree Farm' are by Roger Deakin who was a true countryman and loved to grow trees and work with wood. The first title describes many of his travels abroad and the second is almost a diary of a year in his life at home. Delightful, fascinating, very informative, sometimes humourous and very relaxing.I have already read Joanne Harris's 'Coastliners' at least twice. It is a novel, set on a tiny Breton island and tells of the trials and tribulations of the local inhabitants faced with losing their way of life which has remained almost unchanged for a hundred years.My other 're-read' title is 'The House on the Strand' by Daphne du Maurier. This is about two men, one of whom is a scientist who has discovered a drug which will take him back in time. He asks his friend to try it out for him to see if the effects are the same on him. There are fascinating and nearly disastrous consequences.The good thing about reading is that it doesn't depend on good weather. If the sun is shining, it is delightful to sit in the shade with a good book, and if it's cold and miserable nothing is more cheering than settling in a cosy corner with said good book. It's a win win situation.

2 comments:

Hi Heather - I saw the television series recently of The Pillars of the Earth - fantastic, I loved it! I don't seem to get much time for reading novels - I really don't know why!! Lovely to see you obviously enjoy what you read - great stuff.